U.S. patent number 5,419,386 [Application Number 08/206,617] was granted by the patent office on 1995-05-30 for insulated roll-up door provided with metal outer and inner walls.
Invention is credited to Sebastian Magro, Vincent Magro.
United States Patent |
5,419,386 |
Magro , et al. |
May 30, 1995 |
Insulated roll-up door provided with metal outer and inner
walls
Abstract
A roll-up door having a plurality of elongated adjoining metal
slats hinged together to permit the slats to be arcuately pivoted
when being rolled up, an elongated plastic insulation member being
coextensively inserted along each slat, and a metal inner rear wall
being coextensively inserted along each insulation member so that
each insulation member is sandwiched therebetween. Each assembled
insulation member and inner rear wall is provided with a coupling
arrangement for engaging the hinges of the connected slats, and a
snap-in arrangement for securing the inner rear wall to the
insulation member. Each inner rear wall also has a first hook
portion disposed around an associated second hook portion on the
insulation member, the first hook portion having a flange which
snaps onto a longitudinal free edge of the second hook portion for
securement therebetween. Longitudinal recesses are provided on each
inner rear wall for engagement in associated longitudinal recesses
provided in each insulation member. In an embodiment, the
insulation member is provided with sealing fins projecting
therefrom. In another embodiment, numerous perforations are
provided through the web portions of the slats, and an elongated
fabric material is disposed between the slats and the adjacent
insulation members.
Inventors: |
Magro; Sebastian (Stonybrook,
NY), Magro; Vincent (Stonybrook, NY) |
Family
ID: |
22767181 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/206,617 |
Filed: |
March 7, 1994 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/232; 160/236;
160/41; D25/48.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B
9/15 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E06B
9/11 (20060101); E06B 9/15 (20060101); E06B
009/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;160/232,235,236,133,32,41,230 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Purol; David M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Goodman & Teitelbaum
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A roll-up door comprising:
a plurality of elongated adjoining slats;
hinge means for coupling said adjoining slats together for relative
movement of said slats between a vertical co-planar arrangement
when the door is closed, and an arcuate arrangement when the door
is being rolled up;
each of said slats including a U-shaped elongated channel having a
web portion interconnecting inwardly directed opposed flange
portions, said web portions of said slats cumulatively defining a
front face of the door;
distal ends of said opposed flange portions of each slat
terminating in forwardly directed arcuately curved first and second
segments to define said hinge means;
said first segment on each slat having a curvature substantially
concentric with and smaller than a curvature of said second segment
on each respective slat;
said smaller first segment defining an elongated hinge pin for
insertion into a hinge barrel of an adjoining slat on one side
thereof;
said larger second segment defining an elongated hinge barrel for
receiving a hinge pin of an adjoining slat on an opposite side
thereof;
insertable and removable elongated insulation members being
co-extensively disposed along each slat with each insulation member
being positioned between said opposed flange portions of each
respective slat;
each insulation member being provided with support means for
securing said insulation member to an associated one of said
slats;
an inner wall being coextensively inserted along a rear surface of
each insulation member so that each insulation member is sandwiched
between an associated slat on a front side thereof and an
associated inner wall on a rear side thereof; and
snap-in means for securing each inner wall to an associated one of
said insulation members.
2. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein said snap-in means
includes a pair of spaced apart legs extending forwardly from said
inner wall, and an enlarged resiliant snap-in portion connected to
forward ends of said legs, said associated one of said insulation
members including a receptacle for engagingly receiving said
snap-in portion therein to secure said inner wall to said
associated one of said insulation members.
3. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein each said inner
wall is provided with spaced apart recesses, and each said
associated one of said insulation members is provided with
associated spaced apart recesses for receiving said inner wall
recesses therein to additionally secure each said inner wall to
each said associated one of said insulation members.
4. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein each said inner
wall is provided with a hook portion on one longitudinally
extending end thereof, said hook portion engaging around a hook
portion provided on one longitudinally extending side of each said
associated one of said insulation members for securement
thereto.
5. A roll-up door according to claim 4, wherein each said inner
wall is provided with a lip portion extending outwardly from the
opposite longitudinally extending end thereof, said lip portion
resiliently engaging against a lip portion provided on the opposite
longitudinally extending side of each said associated one of said
insulation members for securement thereto.
6. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein one side of each
insulation member is provided with recess means for accommodating
said elongated hinge barrel of its associated adjoining slat,
sealing means projecting from an outer surface of said recess means
toward said elongated hinge barrel of its associated adjoining slat
to prevent air, water, snow and moisture and to dampen any sound
from passing through the door.
7. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein insulation means
are disposed between each of said insulation members and an
associated one of said slat web portions to dampen outside sound
when passing through the door, said insulation means being an
elongated sheet of insulation material.
8. A roll-up door according to claim 7, wherein each of said slat
web portions includes numerous perforations therethrough, said
perforations having a predetermined size to additionally dampen the
outside sound, said sheet of insulation material covering and
insulating said perforations.
9. A roll-up door according to claim 1, wherein each slat is
fabricated from a metal material, each insulation member is
fabricated from a plastic material, and each inner wall is
fabricated from a metal material.
10. A roll-up door comprising:
a plurality of elongated adjoining slats;
hinge means for coupling said adjoining slats together for relative
movement of said slats between a vertical co-planar arrangement
when the door is closed, and an arcuate arrangement when the door
is being rolled up;
each of said slats including a U-shaped elongated channel having a
web portion interconnecting inwardly directed opposed flange
portions, said web portions of said slats cumulatively defining a
front face of the door;
distal ends of said opposed flange portions of each slat
terminating in forwardly directed arcuately curved first and second
segments to define said hinge means;
said first segment on each slat having a curvature substantially
concentric with and smaller than a curvature of said second segment
on each respective slat;
said smaller first segment defining an elongated hinge pin for
insertion into a hinge barrel of an adjoining slat on one side
thereof;
said larger second segment defining an elongated hinge barrel for
receiving a hinge pin of an adjoining slat on an opposite side
thereof; and
insertable and removable elongated insulation members being
coextensively disposed along each slat with each insulation member
being positioned between said opposed flange portions of each
respective slat;
each of said insulation members having a thickness from front to
rear thereof less than depth of each of said U-shaped slat channels
correspondingly from front to rear thereof so that said front of
each of said insulation members is in a rearwardly spaced apart
relationship to said web portion of each of said slats;
first and second support means on opposing sides of each of said
insulation members for suspending each of said insulation members
in said rearwardly spaced apart relationship to each of said slat
web portions to provide a space therebetween, said space extending
from one flange portion of each of said slats to the other flange
portion of each of said slats;
insulation means being disposed in said space between each of said
insulation members and an associated one of said slat web portions
to dampen outside sound when passing through the door; and
said insulation means being an elongated sheet of insulation
material.
11. A roll-up door according to claim 10, wherein each of said slat
web portions includes numerous perforations therethrough, said
perforations having a predetermined size to additionally dampen the
outside sound; said sheet of insulation material covering and
insulating said perforations.
12. A roll-up door according to claim 10, wherein said sheet of
insulation material extends from a top slat of the door to a bottom
slat of the door.
13. A roll-up door according to claim 10, wherein an inner wall is
coextensively inserted along a rear surface of each insulation
member, and snap-in means for securing each inner wall to an
associated one of said insulation members.
14. A roll-up door according to claim 10, wherein one side of each
insulation member is provided with recess means for accommodating
said elongated hinge barrel of its associated adjoining slat,
sealing means projecting from an outer surface of said recess means
toward said elongated hinge barrel of its associated adjoining slat
to prevent air, water, snow and moisture and to dampen any sound
from passing through the door.
15. A roll-up door comprising:
a plurality of elongated adjoining slats;
hinge means for coupling said adjoining slats together for relative
movement of said slats between a vertical co-planar arrangement
when the door is closed, and an arcuate arrangement when the door
is being rolled up;
each of said slats including a U-shaped elongated channel having a
web portion interconnecting inwardly directed opposed flange
portions, said web portions of said slats cumulatively defining a
front face of the door;
distal ends of said opposed flange portions of each slat
terminating in forwardly directed arcuately curved first and second
segments to define said hinge means;
said first segment on each slat having a curvature substantially
concentric with and smaller than a curvature of said second segment
on each respective slat;
said smaller first segment defining an elongated hinge pin for
insertion into a hinge barrel of an adjoining slat on one side
thereof;
said larger second segment defining an elongated hinge barrel for
receiving a hinge pin of an adjoining slat on an opposite side
thereof; and
insertable and removable elongated insulation members being
co-extensively disposed along each slat with each insulation member
being positioned between said opposed flange portions of each
respective slat;
each of said insulation members having a thickness from front to
rear thereof less than depth of each of said U-shaped slat channels
correspondingly from front to rear thereof so that said front of
each of said insulation members is in a rearwardly spaced apart
relationship to said web portion of each of said slats;
a pair of support means on opposing sides of each of said
insulation members for suspending each of said insulation members
in said rearwardly spaced apart relationship to each of said slat
web portions to provide a space therebetween, said space extending
from one flange portion of each of said slats to the other flange
portion of each of said slats;
one of said support means including an elongated lip resiliently
projecting from said rear edge on one side of said insulation
member;
said elongated lip being in continuous engagement on the other one
of said support means of an adjoining insulation member for
suspending said insulation member above said slat web portion of
its respective slat;
foot means for wedging against said one flange portion beneath said
elongated hinge pin on each respective slat to retain said
insulation member in its suspended position along said respective
slats;
said foot means including an elongated foot projecting from a front
edge on said one side of each insulation member;
said one side of each insulation member being provided with recess
means between said lip and said foot for accommodating said
elongated hinge barrel of its associated ajoining slat; and
sealing means projecting from an outer surface of said recess means
toward said elongated hinge barrel of its associated adjoining slat
to prevent air, water, snow and moisture and to dampen any sound
from passing through the door.
16. A roll-up door according to claim 15, wherein said sealing
means are longitudinally extending, spaced apart resilient
fins.
17. A roll-up door according to claim 16, wherein said recess means
is an arcuate recess having a curvature extending from said foot to
be concentric with an arc of rotation of said adjoining slats, said
fins extending outwardly from said outer surface of said recess in
different lengths with one of said fins adjacent to said foot being
the shortest thereof.
18. A roll-up door according to claim 15, wherein an inner wall is
coextensively inserted along a rear surface of each insulation
member, and snap-in means for securing each inner wall to an
associated one of said insulation members.
19. A roll-up door according to claim 15, wherein insulation means
are disposed in said space between each of said insulation members
and an associated one of said slat web portions to dampen outside
sound when passing through the door, said insulation means being an
elongated sheet of insulation material.
20. A roll-up door according to claim 19, wherein each of said slat
web portions includes numerous perforations therethrough, said
perforations having a predetermined size to additionally dampen the
outside sound, said sheet of insulation material covering and
insulating said perforations.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a roll-up door and, more particularly, to
a roll-up door having insulating means disposed between the metal
outer and inner walls thereof, where the metal inner rear wall is
insertable onto a plastic insulation member provided on each metal
front wall slat of the door.
Roll-up doors are usually utilized in connection with store fronts,
garages and trucks. Typically, such roll-up doors include a series
of adjoining slats which are hingedly interconnected, so that the
slats can be pivoted with respect to each other about the
connecting hinges when the door is moved from its vertically closed
position into its raised rolled up position. Generally, the roll-up
door is provided with some form of insulation to prevent heat loss
from within the store, garage or truck. Such insulation is usually
added to the door slats after the door has been assembled, where
the insulation can be of the foam type which is sprayed on or
applied in block form. In many cases, the slats are formed with
hollow recesses therein to receive such insulation.
A prior insulated roll-up door is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,630,664, the roll-up door being formed of a plurality of
elongated adjoining slats connected together by hinges to permit
the door to be rolled up along an arcuate track arrangement for
storage thereof when in an opened position. Elongated plastic
insulating hollow members or sleeves are coextensively inserted
along the rear portion of each slat for receiving insulation
material therein.
The present invention is directed to an improvement of the
insulated roll-up door disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,664.
Accordingly, there is presently a need to provide a metal inner
rear wall on the plastic insulating hollow members disclosed in
this patent in order to protect the plastic insulating hollow
members, to improve the insulation of the roll-up door and to
improve the decorative appearance of the interior wall of the
roll-up door. Furthermore, there is also a need to provide sealing
means between the slat hinges and the plastic insulating hollow
members to prevent air, water, snow, moisture and the like from
passing therebetween, where the sealing means can also function to
reduce the amount of sound passing therethrough. Additionally,
there is also a need to provide dampening means in the slats of the
door to reduce or prevent outside sound from passing through the
door.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a
roll-up door which avoids the problems of the prior art roll-up
doors.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll-up
door having plastic insulation members disposed along metal slats
of the roll-up door, and metal inner rear walls disposed on each of
the plastic insulation members.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll-up
door which can be assembled from individual slats, insulation
members and inner rear walls, which are coextensively sandwiched
together.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a roll-up
door in which the insulation members include hollow sleeves for
receiving insulation therein.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a
roll-up door in which each inner rear wall snap-fits onto an
associated insulation member, which in turn snap-fits into an
associated slat.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a snap-in
portion on each inner rear wall for inserting into a receptacle
portion provided in a rear wall of an associated insulation
member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll-up
door in which sealing means are provided between the slat hinges
and the plastic insulation members to prevent air, water, snow,
moisture and the like from passing therebetween, the sealing means
being longitudinally extending, spaced apart resilient sealing fins
extending outwardly from the walls of the plastic insulation
members.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a roll-up
door in which dampening means are provided in the slats of the door
to reduce or prevent outside sound from passing through the door,
the dampening means including numerous perforations provided
through the web portions of the slats and/or an elongated fabric
material, such as plastic, rubber, cloth and the like, disposed
between inner surfaces of the slats and the adjacent walls of the
plastic insulation members.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a roll-up door having a plurality of elongated adjoining
metal slats, with adjacent slats being hinged together to permit
the slats to be arcuately pivoted with respect to each other when
the door is being rolled up into an opened position. An elongated
plastic insulation member is coextensively inserted along each
slat, where the insulation member includes a hollow sleeve to
provide a hollow chamber therethrough to receive insulation
therein. A metal inner rear wall is coextensively inserted along
the rear wall of each insulation member so that each insulation
member is sandwiched between the metal outer slat and the metal
inner rear wall. On opposing sides of each assembled insulation
member and inner rear wall, there are provided coupling
arrangements for engaging the hinges of the connected slats, where
the coupling arrangements permit the slats to pivot with respect to
each other.
Each inner rear wall is provided with a snap-in portion which is
received in a receptacle portion provided in the rear wall on each
insulation member to secure the inner rear wall and the insulation
member together. Each inner rear wall includes a resilient lip
portion disposed against an associated resilient lip portion of
each insulation member for securement thereto. On an opposite side,
each inner rear wall is provided with a hook portion which is
disposed around an associated hook portion on the insulation
member, where the hook portion of the inner rear wall is provided
with a flange which snaps onto a longitudinal free edge of the hook
portion of the insulation member to provide securement
therebetween. Longitudinal recesses are provided on each inner rear
wall for engagement in associated longitudinal recesses provided in
the rear wall of each insulation member so that the inner rear wall
is securely fixed against an outer surface of the rear wall of the
insulation member.
In an embodiment of the present invention, sealing means are
provided between the slat hinges and the plastic insulation members
to prevent air, water, snow, moisture and the like from passing
therebetween, the sealing means preferably being longitudinally
extending, spaced apart resilient sealing fins extending outwardly
from the walls of the plastic insulation hollow members. In another
embodiment, dampening means are provided in the slats of the door
to reduce or prevent outside sound from passing through the door,
the dampening means preferably including numerous perforations
provided through the web portions of the slats and/or an elongated
fabric material such as plastic, rubber, cloth and the like,
disposed between inner surfaces of the slats and the adjacent walls
of the plastic insulation members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With the above and additional objects and advantages in view, as
will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices,
combinations and arrangements of the parts hereinafter described by
way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a
preferred embodiment in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a roll-up door;
FIG. 2 is a fragmented perspective view of interconnected slats
forming the outer front wall of the door;
FIG. 3 is a fragmented perspective view of a plastic insulation
member for each slat;
FIG. 4 is a fragmented perspective view of a metal inner rear wall
for each slat;
FIG. 5 is a fragmented side elevational view, in cross section,
showing the metal inner rear wall being inserted onto the plastic
insulation member;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, in cross section, showing the
metal inner rear wall mounted on the plastic insulation member;
FIG. 7 is a fragmented side elevational view, showing the
positioning of the combined inner rear wall and insulation member
arrangements on associated slats;
FIG. 8 is a fragmented side elevational view, showing the hinged
rotation of adjacent slats having the combined inner rear wall and
insulation member arrangements thereon;
FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, in cross section, showing a
modification of the plastic insulation member provided with sealing
means projecting from a wall thereof;
FIG. 10 is an exploded fragmented perspective view, showing
modified slats provided with numerous perforations through the web
portions thereof, and an associated fabric material which is
disposable against the inner surfaces of the slats; and
FIG. 11 is a fragmented side elevational view, similar to FIG. 7,
showing the positioning of the inner rear wall and the modified
insulation member of FIG. 9 with respect to the fabric material and
modified slats of FIG. 10.
In the various figures of the drawings, like reference characters
designate like parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 generally shows a roll-up
door 10 including a plurality of individually elongated slats 12
extending the width of the door 10. The slats 12 are interconnected
by a hinge arrangement 14, which connects the adjacent slats 12
together while permitting pivotal movement therebetween. The ends
of the slats 12 are protected by side guard rails 16, 18, which
contain conventional track arrangements therein along which the
slats 12 can ride. At the upper end, there is provided a projecting
conventional header 20, which contains the necessary mechanism for
raising or lowering the door 10, which is well known in the roll-up
door art.
The roll-up door 10 can typically be the front of a store 22, a
garage, a truck or the like. In the closed position, the slats 12
provide a vertical coplanar arrangement for closing the store 22.
In order to open the door 10, the door 10 is rolled upward so that
each of the slats 12 pivot arcuately, with respect to the adjoining
slat 12, around a conventional support roller disposed in the
header 20. Within the header 20, the slats 12 run along arcuate
tracks for storage in a substantially horizontal position on the
support roller in a conventional manner well known in the art.
As shown in FIG. 2, each of the slats 12 is formed of a
substantially U-shaped metal channel, including a web portion 24
interconnecting outwardly directed flanges 26, 28. The outer
surface of the web portion 24, together with all the other
corresponding web outer surfaces, constitutes the outer front wall
of the roll-up door 10.
At the distal edge of the flange 26, there is provided an inwardly
turned arcuate segment 30 directed forwardly towards the web
portion 24. It is noted, that the arcuate segment 30 runs the
entire longitudinal length of the slat 12 and, accordingly, extends
the entire width of the roll-up door 10. The forwardly directed
portion of the arcuate segment 30 extends only part way along the
flange 26.
At the distal edge of the opposite flange 28, there is likewise
provided an inwardly turned arcuate segment 32 directed forwardly
towards the web portion 24. Likewise, the arcuate segment 32 runs
the entire length of the slat 12 and, accordingly, extends the
width of the roll-up door 10. The arcuate segment 32 also only
extends forwardly along a portion of the flange 28.
Both arcuate segments 30 and 32 are substantially identically
curved. However, the arcuate segment 30 has a smaller diameter than
does the arcuate segment 32. Thus, the arcuate segment 30 of one
slat 12 can fit within the arcuate segment 32 of an adjacent slat
12, and can rotate therein, as set forth below.
It should be appreciated, that each of the slats of the roll-up
door 10 has a configuration corresponding to the hereto described
slat 12. For convenience, the adjoining slat vertically above the
slat 12 is designated as slat 12A, and the corresponding parts of
slat 12A are identified with the subscript A. Similarly, the other
adjoining slat vertically below the slat 12 is designated as slat
12B, and the corresponding parts of slat 12B are designated with
the additional subscript B.
Accordingly, on the one hand, each of the smaller diameter arcuate
segments 30, 30A, 30B . . . defines a hinge pin arrangement. On the
other hand, all the larger arcuate segments 32, 32A, 32B . . .
constitute a hinge barrel arrangement. In this manner, the hinge
pin of one slat slides into the hinge barrel of the adjoining slat,
as set forth below in more detail.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the arcuate segment 30 of
the slat 12, which now constitutes a hinge pin 30, slides into the
arcuate segment 32B of the next adjacent lower slat 12B, which now
constitutes a hinge barrel 32B. Similarly, the arcuate section 32
of the slat 12, which now constitutes a hinge barrel 32, receives
therein the arcuate segment 30A of the next adjoining upper slat
12A on the other side thereof, which now constitutes a hinge pin
30A. In this manner, all the slats can be hingedly connected to
each other by means of the integral hinge arrangement.
Accordingly, the slats are individually formed and can be assembled
together in the above manner to provide the desired height of a
particular roll-up door 10 by means of interconnecting the desired
number of slats. Similarly, the width of the roll-up door 10 can be
provided by properly selecting the length of each slat to extend
horizontally across the front of the store 22 or opening to be
closingly covered.
The integral hinge arrangement mentioned above permits pivotal
rotation of adjoining slats so that they can move from a vertically
coplanar position, as shown in FIG. 2, to a rolled up position on
the support roller as the roll-up door 10 moves along the track
arrangements from a closed position to an opened position.
Preferably, insulation is provided against the inner surface of the
slats, such as sprayed on foam insulation, strips of foam
insulation secured by fastening means, and the like. FIG. 3 shows a
plastic insulation insert or member 40 which is utilized for
coextensive insulation against each individual slat. Preferably,
the insulation member 40 is filled with insulation to provide for
the necessary insulation of each slat, and can be assembled with
the slats, as set forth below.
The insulation member 40 is a substantially hollow sleeve having a
front wall 42, a rear wall 44, and opposing side walls 46, 48. The
hollow chamber 50 formed therethrough preferably receives
insulation of various types, for example, foam insulation, solid
insulation, or other types of insulation including air. It is
noted, that the length of the insulation member 40 corresponds
substantially to the length of each slat 12 and, accordingly,
extends the entire longitudinal width of the roll-up door 10.
At the lower part of the front wall 42, the insulation member 40
includes a downwardly extending foot portion 52. The lower side
wall 48 is formed with an arcuate curvature which extends inwardly
in a rearward direction from the foot portion 52 to the rear wall
44. On the lower portion of the rear wall 44, there is provided a
cantilevered lip portion 54, which extends outwardly from the
arcuate side wall 48 in a forwardly inclined direction to be
disposed in a spaced position over the foot portion 52. The lip
portion 54 is resilient, the function of which is set forth below.
The upper portion of the rear wall 44 terminates in a concave
portion 56, which bends into an arcuate inwardly curved hook
portion 58. The hook portion 58 extends forwardly part way towards
the front wall 42 in a spaced apart arrangement from the upper side
wall 46.
Typically, the entire insulation member 40 can be formed of plastic
material and integrally molded as a one piece construction.
Accordingly, the resiliencey of the lip portion 54 is provided by
the plastic material and the cantilevered construction thereof.
The construction described above, except for the inclining of the
lip portion 54, is substantially set forth in the above-mentioned
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,664. Pursuant to the present invention, the
rear wall 44 has been modified to receive a metal inner rear wall
for each slat 12, as will be described below.
FIG. 4 shows a metal inner rear wall 60, preferably fabricated from
a galvanized steel, in accordance with the present invention, in
order to protect the plastic insulation member 40, to improve the
insulation of the roll-up door 10 and to improve the decorative
appearance of the interior wall of the roll-up door 10. The inner
rear wall 60 is inserted against the rear wall 44 of the insulation
member 40, as set forth below. It is noted, that the length of the
inner rear wall 60 corresponds substantially to the length of the
slats 12 and the insulation members 40 and, accordingly, extends
the entire interior width of the roll-up door 10.
Adjacent the inclined lip portion 62 of the inner rear wall 60 is a
resilient snap-in portion 66 extending forwardly from the body 64
thereof. The snap-in portion 66 includes two spaced apart legs 68,
70 extending perpendicularly from the body 64. An enlarged
arcuately curved resilient portion 72 connects the opposite forward
ends of the legs 68, 70 together, the curved portion 72 having a
bubble-like configuration. Accordingly, the resiliency of the
curved portion 72 permits the longitudinally extending sides
thereof to be squeezed together when being inserted during the
snapping-in thereof, as set forth below.
Above the snap-in portion 66, there are provided preferably three
spaced apart recesses 74, 76 and 78 or corrugations extending
longitudinally across the body 64, the function of which will be
set forth below. The upper longitudinal portion of the body 64
terminates in a concave portion 80, which bends into an arcuate
inwardly curved convex hook portion 82. The free end of the hook
portion 82 is turned inwardly to provide a longitudinally extending
flange 84.
As mentioned above, the rear wall 44 of the insulation member 40 of
FIG. 3 is modified to receive the inner rear wall 60. Accordingly,
adjacent the cantilevered lip portion 54, a receptacle portion 90
extends forwardly into the hollow chamber 50 to receive the snap-in
portion 66 of the inner rear wall 60 therein, as set forth
below.
The receptacle portion 90 includes two forwardly extending legs 92,
94, which are spaced apart a predetermined distance substantially
equal to the distance between the outer walls of the legs 68, 70 of
the snap-in portion 66 of the inner rear wall 60. The legs 92, 94
extend perpendicularly from the rear wall 44. An arcuately curved
portion 96 connects the forward ends of the legs 92, 94 together,
where the arcuately curved portion 96 is sized to receive the
arcuately curved resilient portion 72 of the snap-in portion 66
therein, as set forth below.
Above the receptacle portion 90, there are provided preferably
three spaced apart recesses 98, 100 and 102 or corrugations,
extending longitudinally across the rear wall 44. The recesses 98,
100 and 102 receive the recesses 74, 76 and 78 of the inner rear
wall 60 therein, respectively, as set forth below.
The inner rear wall 60 is inserted onto the insulation member 40,
as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, to provide an integral arrangement
thereof. However, it is noted, that a suitable insulation material
104 can be inserted within the hollow chamber 50 of the insulation
member 40 before or after the inner wall 60 and the insert 40 are
attached together, or in some cases, the insulation material 104 is
not required.
As shown in FIG. 5, the inner rear wall 60 is aligned with the
insulation member 40 so that the curved resilient portion 72 of the
snap-in portion 66 of the inner rear wall 60 is at the mouth 106 of
the receptacle portion 90 of the insulation member 40. The inner
rear wall 60 is then pushed towards the insulation member 40 in the
direction of arrow 108 so that the curved portion 72 enters into
the receptacle portion 90. Accordingly, the legs 92, 94 of the
receptacle portion 90 squeeze the sides of the curved resilient
portion 72 of the snap-in portion 66 together so that the curved
resilient portion 72 passes between the legs 92, 94. It is noted,
that the legs 68, 70 of the snap-in portion 66 are also squeezed
together, as shown in FIG. 5. Once the curved resilient portion 72
passes the legs 92, 94 and enters into the curved portion 96 of the
insulation member 40, the curved resilient portion 72 expands and
snaps against the inner walls of the curved portion 96 to secure
the snap-in portion 66 within the receptacle portion 90, as shown
in FIG. 6.
Accordingly, when the snap-in portion 66 of the inner rear wall 60
is secured within the receptacle portion 90, the lip portion 62 of
the inner rear wall 60 is resiliently disposed against the upper
portion of the lip portion 54 for securement thereto. The portion
of the inner rear wall 60 between the lip portion 62 and the
snap-in portion 66 is thus secured against the corresponding
portion on the rear wall 44 of the insulation member 40.
The hook portion 82 of the rear wall 60 is now disposed around the
hook portion 58 of the insulation member 40, and the flange 84 of
the inner rear wall 60 is snapped onto the longitudinal free edge
of the hook portion 58 to secure same together, where the concave
portion 80 of the inner rear wall 60 abuts against the concave
portion 56 of the insulation member 40. Additionally, the
longitudinal recesses 74, 76 and 78 of the inner rear wall 60, if
not already positioned, are snapped into their respective
associated recesses 98, 100 and 102 of the insulation member 40 so
that the inner rear wall 60 is securely fixed against the outer
surface of the rear wall 44 of the insulation member 40, as shown
in FIG. 6.
It is noted, that instead of the preferred above-snap-in attachment
of the inner rear wall 60, the inner rear wall 60 can be attached
to the insulation member 40 by a sliding engagement therebetween.
In the sliding engagement, the lip portion 62, the snap-in portion
66, the recesses 74, 76, 78, the concave portion 80, the hook
portion 82 and the flange 84 on one end of the inner rear wall 60
are aligned with the lip portion 54, the receptacle portion 90, the
recesses 98, 100, 102, the concave portion 56, the hook portion 58
and the free end of the hook portion 58 at an end of the rear wall
44 of the insulation member 40, respectively. The inner rear wall
60 is then slid across the entire longitudinal length of the rear
wall 44 of the insulation member 40 to slidingly engage the inner
rear wall 60 to the insulation member 40, as shown in FIG. 6, which
achieves the same result as if the inner rear wall 60 was snapped
onto the rear wall 44 of the insulation member 40, as described
above.
It is further noted, that instead of the snap-in portion 66 and the
receptacle portion 90 extending the entire longitudinal length of
the inner rear wall 60 and the insulation member 40, respectively,
there can be provided a series of spaced apart snap-in portions
disposed longitudinally along the inner rear wall 60, and a series
of corresponding spaced apart receptacle portions disposed
longitudinally along the rear wall 44 of the insulation member 40
to matingly receive the corresponding snap-in portions therein.
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown three insulation
members 40, 40A, 40B having the inner rear walls 60, 60A, 60B
already connected thereto, respectively, installed or being
installed on the three slats 12, 12A, 12B shown in FIG. 2. The
insulation member 40 with the inner rear wall 60 thereon is shown
already installed in place on the slat 12. Accordingly, the foot
portion 52 is wedged against the flange 26 beneath the hinge
connection including the hinge pin 30 of the slat 12 and the hinge
barrel 32B of the adjoining slat 12B. The lip portion 54 overlies
the hinge connection 30, 32B as well as the hook portion 58B and
the hook portion 82B of the adjoining insulation member 40B and
inner rear wall 60B, respectively. The lip portion 54 is disposed
in a resilient pressing engagement against the concave portion 80B
of the adjoining inner rear wall 60B. At the opposite upper end,
the hook portion 58 with the hook portion 82 thereon overlies the
entire hinge connection 32, 30A at the opposite end of the slat 12,
and concave portion 80 receives thereon the lip portion 54A of the
adjoining insulation member 40A.
It is noted, that the insulation member 40 can be assembled by
sliding the insulation member 40 along the slat 12 until it is
coextensive with the longitudinal length of the slat 12.
Alternatively, the insulation member 40 can be positioned by a
snap-in assembly thereof, as indicated in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the
foot portion 52A is first wedged in place adjacent the flange 26A,
and then the hook portion 58A with the hook portion 82A thereon is
snapped over the hinge connection 32A, 30C at the other end of the
slat 12A.
The arcuate wall 48 of the insulation members 40 forms a recess for
receiving the hinge arrangement which couples the adjoining slats
together, and for also receiving the hook portions of the adjoining
insulation member and inner rear wall. By means of the arcuate
recessed wall 48, the adjoining slats can be pivoted during the
opening and closing of the door, as shown in FIG. 8. During this
pivoting movement, the resilient lip portion 54 flexes to permit
the pivotal movement of the slats with respect to each other, while
resiliently abutting against the concave portion of the adjoining
inner rear wall to maintain the position of the adjacent insulation
members and inner rear walls within their corresponding slats.
It is noted, that the insulation member 40 does not cover the
entire depth of the channel of the slat 12. Thus, the front wall 42
of the insulation member 40 is spaced from the web portion 24 of
the slat 12 to provide an air space 110 therebetween. This air
space 110 provides additional insulation for the door 10. It is
noted, that the lip portion 54 at one end and the hinge portion 58
at the other end of the insulation member 40 maintain the front
wall 42 in the spaced position to provide the air space 110.
It is further noted, that if it is necessary to retain the
insulation members 40 longitudinally within the slats 12, stop
means can be provided at the longitudinal ends of the web portions
24 of the slats 12, in the manner set forth in U.S. Pat. No.
4,630,664.
With the use of the above-mentioned insertable insulation members
40 and inner rear walls 60, it is possible to construct a roll-up
door 10 by first assembling the slats 12 together to the desired
length and width as required. The insulation members 40 combined
with inner rear walls 60 can then be either slid in place within
the slats 12 or snap-fit in place as mentioned above, and proper
stop means can be used if required to retain the insulation members
40 longitudinally within the slats 12. The insulation members 40,
as well as the inner rear walls 60, can also be removed when
desired by either sliding them out or unsnapping them out.
Furthermore, although the insulation member and inner rear wall are
provided coextensively within each slat, it should be appreciated
that the use of the insulation members and inner rear walls in no
way at all interferes with the pivotal operation of the slats, in
which the slats can continue to be moved between the closed
position in which the slats constitute a vertical planar
arrangement, and the opened position where the slats run along the
tracks and are rolled up on the support roller within the header 20
for storage therein.
Referring now to FIG. 9, a modified insulation member 120 is shown
which is substantially the same as the above-mentioned insulation
member 40, except the insulation member 120 is provided with
longitudinally extending, spaced apart sealing fins 122,124, 126,
128, 130 and 132 on the lower side wall 48 thereof. The sealing
fins 122-132 are preferably fabricated from a soft rubber, being
secured to or formed on the lower side wall 48 during the molding
or extrusion thereof, where the walls of the insulation member 120
are preferably fabricated from a hard plastic material.
As shown, the sealing fins 122-132 extend outwardly in different
lengths from the lower side wall 48, where the sealing fin 122 is
the longest thereof, and the sealing fin 132 is the shortest
thereof. As shown in FIG. 11, the sealing fins 122-132 fill the
space between the lower side wall 48 and the hook portion 82B of
the adjacent inner rear wall 60B which is disposed on the hook
portion 58B of the adjacent insulation member 120B. Thus, the
sealing fins 122-132 function as a barrier to prevent air, water,
snow, moisture and the like, from passing therethrough. The sealing
fins 120-132 will also reduce the amount of sound passing through
the door 10. A further modification is set forth below to also
prevent sound from passing through the door 10.
FIG. 10 shows modified slats 140, 140A, 140B which have the same
construction and are connected together in the same manner as the
above-mentioned slats 12, 12A, 12B described above and shown best
in FIG. 2. However, the web portions 24, 24A, 24B thereof have been
modified to include numerous perforations 142, 142A, 142B,
respectively, through the walls thereof substantially along the
entire surface areas thereof. Accordingly, the perforations 142,
142A, 142B can be made in any suitable hole size, large or small,
where the hole sizes are preferably uniform for each web portion
140, 140A, 140B. The perforations 142, 142A, 142B are provided to
dampen outside sound when passing through the door 10, such
dampening affect being well known in the sound art.
Accordingly, an elongated fabric material 144, such as a plastic
material, a rubber material, a cloth material and the like, is
disposed against the inner surfaces of the slats 140, 140A, 140B
from the top of the door 10 to the bottom thereof. The fabric
material 144 is disposed in the space 110 between the slats 140 and
the insulation members 120, as set forth below, to further dampen
sounds from the outside of the door 10 as the sounds pass through
the door 10, particularly when passing through the perforations 142
in the slats 140. The fabric material 144 also functions to cover
and insulate the perforations 142 in the webs 24 of the slats
140.
The assembling of the door 10 shown in FIG. 11 is substantially
similar to the procedure described above with respect to FIG. 7,
except in this modification thereof, the fabric material 144 has
been added thereto. Accordingly, with the slats 140, 140A, 140B
connected together in the above-mentioned manner, the fabric
material 144 in one continuous length is disposed against the inner
surfaces of the slats 140, 140A, 140B. Then, the insulation members
120, 120A, 120B, which as shown need not be filled with the
above-mentioned insulation material 104, and which also can or
cannot be provided with the above-mentioned inner rear wall 60,
60A, 60B as desired, are installed on the three slats 140,140A,
140B, respectively. The front walls 42 of the insulation members
120, 120A, 120B are disposed against the fabric material 144 so
that the fabric material 144 is disposed in the spaces 110 between
the front walls 42 and the web portions 24. The fabric material 144
also encircles the hinge barrels 32, 32A, 32B, as shown in FIG.
11.
The insulation member 120 is preferably positioned by the
above-mentioned snap-in assembly thereof. Accordingly, as indicated
in FIG. 11, the foot portion 52A is first wedged in place against
the fabric material 144 disposed adjacent to the flange 26A, and
then the hook portion 58A is snapped-over the fabric material 144
covering the hinge barrel 32A at the other end of the slat 12A. The
resiliency of the sealing fins 122-132 permits the arcuate wall 48
of the insulation member 120 to receive the hinge arrangement 14
which couples the adjoining slats 12 together, and also for
receiving the hinged portions of the adjoining insulation member
120, and the inner rear wall 60 if provided thereon. It is noted,
that the resiliency of the sealing fins 120-132 also permits the
adjoining slats 140 to pivot relative to each other during the
opening and closing of the door 10, in the same manner as indicated
in FIG. 8 described above.
Thus, for the most part, the assembling of the door 10 shown in
FIG. 11 is substantially the same as shown in FIG. 7 described
above, so that a further description thereof is not thought
necessary. However, FIG. 11 includes a modified resiliant snap-in
portion 166 extending forwardly from the body 64 of the inner rear
wall 60, which functions in substantially the same manner as the
above-mentioned snap-in portion 66. The snap-in portion 166
includes a pair of diverging leg portions 168, 170 connected to the
forward ends of the legs 68, 70, respectively, which extend into
converging leg portions 172, 174, respectively, to provide a
diamond-shaped arrangement having a pointed free forward end 176
for guiding the snap-in portion 166 into the mouth 106 of the
receptacle portion 90 of the insulation member 40 or 120, in the
same manner as described above.
Numerous alterations of the structures herein discussed will
suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to
be understood that the present disclosure relates to preferred
embodiments of the invention which are for purposes of illustration
only, and are not to be construed as a limitation of the
invention.
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